And God Persists…
Please join me in the Spirit of prayer. Persistent God, thank you for continuing to speak to us—in in whispers,in shouts, through Scripture, through others, through dreams. Help us quiet our lives so we hear you. Help us open our eyes so we see you. Help us open our hearts to love those you call us to serveand to go wherever you call us to go. We pray this in the name of Jesus who says: come and follow me. Amen.
One of the themes woven through our lessons today from the book of Jonah and the Gospel of Mark speak of responding to God’s call for our lives. Sometimes they,AND we, respond immediately—dropping our nets to follow, proclaiming a fast, believing God. Other times they, AND we, do everything we can to avoid, to deny, to run in the opposite direction.
Let’s take a look at Jonah. Our lesson today reveals that the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second timeand this time he obeyed. He went to Nineveh. However, when God initially came to Jonah he ran far and fast. He got on a boat in Joppa and headed for Tarish. Did God let Jonah alone? No, God created a great storm, so great that the others on the boat were in peril. Jonah realized that the only way to save the others was to sacrifice himselfso he asked them to hurl him into the waters. Was this the end of Jonah? No, God still persisted and Jonah was swallowed by a huge fish. While in the belly of the fish, Jonah prayed. He prayed to God and the fish spit or vomited him up on the shore.
This is where our passage picks up today. With God—who is very persistent—coming to Jonah a second time. This time Jonah follows. I suppose any of us would after what Jonah had experienced. Still Jonah was reluctant. Perhaps because he feared those living in Nineveh. They were the “enemy.” They were the “oppressors.” Perhaps Jonah thought they deserved God’s wrath. Still Jonah went into the city and cried out, “Forty days more, and Ninevah shall be overthrown.” Jonah did what God sent him to do.
The folks in Nineveh—the “evil ones,”the “enemy,” the “oppressors,” did they turn on Jonah? Did they try to kill him? Did they laugh him off or ignore him? No. We hear the people of Nineveh believed God. And God saw how they turned from their wrong doings. God saw how they repented. And God changed God’s mind. He did not destroy Nineveh or the people or the animals.
God is revealed as persistent and merciful; universally loving everyone; recognizing our humanness; recognizing our inadequacies; always aiming to heal us, to save us, sometimes even from ourselves.
When we look to our Gospel lesson, we remember that Jesus’ ministry commences as he travels along the Sea of Galilee. There he saw Simon and Andrew, brothers who were casting nets into the water. Jesus called to them. Jesus asked them to follow and told them he would make them fishers of people. Did they question Jesus? Did they ask him where they were going? Did they ask how long they would be away? No—they immediately left their nets and followed. A little later brothers James and John did the same. They left their lives, they followed Jesuswho gave them a new identity. Rather fishers of fishthey were now fishers of people. Following the One who would teach them, who would eat with them, who would love them. Were they always perfect? Of course not. Rather they were like you and like me—imperfect people who try to understand, who try to follow. They were human just as we are…
So how about us? How about you? When you hear God calling can, do, or will you respond without hesitation? Do you have lots of questions? How do you respond when God tells you to put down those nets and follow?
I’ll share. Often when I tell folks I’m serving as a Pastor, I’m asked if I always knew that this is what I would be doing. The answer is unequivocally NO. Prior to being in my mid-40s I never in my wildest imagination or dreams thought I would go to Seminary; that I would be led to this space; that I would stand up in front of people to lead worship and to speak the words God gives to me.
In fact, I would compare myself more to Jonah than the disciples. I clearly remember the day I heard God say Pastor. It was in one of those thin spaces—a space where I felt close to God. Having recently started taking classes at the local community college, I turn to God to ask what comes next. Fullyprepared to hear social work or counseling or another career that would lead me to being with people—totally unprepared to hear the word Pastor. I think I actually chuckledI may have even snorted. Idefinitely asked for another answer. After some reflective discernment, after glancing backward at the trail which led me to this space, I very very very tentatively said ok. But I added the caveat that I would not preach. Public speaking terrified me. I thought God was good with this—apparently not. God is persistent—very persistent.
Today we installed new Consistory members. W blessed them and those who continue on our leadership team. God called them to these spaces. They each have different, unique gifts—gifts which together will help to guide our faith community. I don’t know if they said YES immediately. I don’t know how they heard God’s calling. But they responded—to a God who is very persistent.
What might stand in the way of saying yes to God or of responding immediately? (fear…feelings of inadequacy…feeling we have misheard…fear or failure…fear of change…fear that others will laugh at us)
My friends, God calls us, each of us, to different spaces. Sometimes we are frightened. Sometimes we do not feel equipped for the duties. The truth is God will equip us for what God calls us to do. Our part is to have faith, to trust, and to followwherever God leads us. For God will lead us to spaces where we can make a difference; where we can sow seeds of hope, seeds of peace, seeds of love. God will lead us to people who need our presence, our compassion, our empathy. God will lead us to the top of mountainsand down into the valleys—to new places where we had previously feared to go—to be with people we thought were the “other”…
And God won’t let us alone in any of those spacesfor God is persistent; God is merciful. God will follow us until we say yes. And then God will remain with usdelighted with each step we take as we journey to share the Good News!
Come and follow. Go out to serve and love…
May it be so. Amen.